OS Help

What is OS-HELP?

OS‑HELP is a loan available to eligible students enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place who want to undertake some of their study overseas. The OS-HELP loan amount is added to your accumulated HECS-HELP debt and can be used for a range of expenses such as airfares, accommodation, and other travel or study expenses. Students may receive one loan per six-month period (commencing on the first day of the overseas program and ending six months from the commencement date) and can access a total of two OS‑HELP loans over their lifetime. A student's overseas study must take place within the relevant six-month period of the OS-HELP loan. Students may receive OS-HELP for overseas study of less than six months, but cannot receive an OS-HELP loan more than once in any given six month period.

be an Australian citizen, permanent humanitarian visa holder or a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements (NZ SCV holders should seek more information from the StudyAssist website); and

be enrolled with UC as a Commonwealth supported student; and

have successfully completed one year of full-time study (24 UC credit points) towards your Commonwealth supported UC course (can include undergraduate study if currently undertaking an Honours component); and

have at least 3 UC credit points to return to on completion of your overseas study; and

have the overseas study count towards the course requirements for the UC course of study which you are enrolled in; and

meet the tax file number (TFN) requirements by providing your TFN (or a completed Certificate of application for a TFN) to UC Study Abroad; and

not have received an OS-HELP loan on more than one other occasion; and

not have been granted an OS-HELP loan by UC or another provider for an overlapping 6 month study period; and

not have completed or discontinued your overseas study before applying for the OS-HELP loan; and

be undertaking full-time study while overseas (see part 32.10 of the AIP to determine full-time study); and

have received official acceptance from an overseas university, program provider or program leader; and

have received approval for the overseas study to count as credit towards the course you are currently enrolled in at UC.

be selected by UC Study Abroad to receive an OS-HELP loan and completed all required OS-HELP application steps (see the How to Apply tab below).

To be eligible for a supplementary Asian language study loan (in addition to your OS-HELP loan), you must:

be selected by UC for OS-HELP assistance for overseas study in Asia for the same six-month period; and

be undertaking or planning to undertake Asian language study to prepare for your overseas study in Asia (the study must not have already been completed); and

Complete the Asian language study before the commencement of the overseas study; and

not be undertaking Asian language study as part of a course leading to a higher education award for which you are in a Commonwealth supported place or receiving FEE-HELP; and

apply for and be selected to receive a supplementary amount for Asian language study; and

The amount you may apply to borrow is indexed annually by the Australian Government on 1 January. Maximums increase each year. You can apply for up to the maximum for the year in which you are applying, not the year in which you will travel (if this is different). In 2019, the maximum amounts are:

$6,791 AUD if you will not be studying in Asia

$8,149 AUD if you will be studying in Asia plus an optional additional $1,085 AUD if you will be undertaking Asian language study in preparation for study in Asia

You may apply for the following set amounts in 2018 up to your specified program limit as stated above (please note: This only applies for applications submitted from 01/01/2019):

$2500 AUD

$4500 AUD

$6791 AUD

$8149 AUD (Asia Only)

Please note: The University can not provide a greater number of OS-HELP loans than the number advised by the department in a given year. The total amount of OS-HELP assistance approved for each applicant is dependent on the total OS-HELP funding made available to the University. The selection basis for the provision of OS-HELP will be determined by eligibility and the order in which we receive completed applications.

Regardless of your program type, the entire OS-HELP application process can take up to six weeks to complete and there is a paper application and signature component required, so please aim to apply at least six weeks before you depart Canberra.

You must apply for OS-HELP:

No more than six months prior to your overseas program commencement date; AND

No later than

Six weeks prior to the commencement date of the overseas program (for short programs, Faculty Led Programs, internships or other international opportunities); OR

Six weeks after your overseas program's commencement date for semester or year long exchange or study abroad (though applying prior to departing Canberra is preferred practice).

In the case of applying for a second OS-HELP loan for a consecutive six month period to an initial OS-HELP approved loan, you must apply no earlier than six weeks prior to the commencement date of your second overseas program as specified by the HESA guidelines (section 2.5.30).

If you intend to apply for the additional allowance for Asian language study, you must apply after you have evidence of enrolment and prior to the completion of the language study.

If you are participating in an AIM Overseas Program, or a Short Course (not including Faculty Led Programs or Exchange), you must also fill out the UC Short Course Participation (SCP) Form. Please complete this form before applying for OS-HELP.

By completing Step 1, students agree that all correspondence relating to OS-HELP may be made via email or other electronic application.

Step 2 – Complete Forms in the UC Study Abroad Office

You will complete Step 2 in the UC Study Abroad Office:

You should receive an acceptance or declined email within 72 hours, based on an assessment of your OS-HELP eligibility from Step 1.

If you meet the eligibility requirements and have successfully completed Step 1, you will be invited to come into the UC Study Abroad Office to sign and complete the OS-HELP Debt Confirmation Form. This invite will remain valid for 4 weeks, after which time the application will be cancelled and a new application will need to be made.

Please bring your Tax File Number (TFN) and bank account details with you when you come in to complete Step 2.

Provision of false or misleading information by students:The personal information collected in your OS-HELP application is collected for the purpose of determining your eligibility for an OS-HELP loan. If the University knows, or has reason to believe, that a student in receipt of OS-HELP has provided false or misleading information in their OS-HELP application, UC must immediately notify the department and provide them with a copy of the student's application and any other relevant information or material the department requests. The University may also be required to disclose your personal information as otherwise authorised or required by law. If the loan has not yet been paid when the University discovers that a student is no longer eligible or has provided false or misleading information, the university is obliged to withdraw the offer of a loan.

Loan Payment for Successful Applications

The money will be paid to you by electronic funds transfer within four (4) weeks of the UC Study Abroad Office receiving your completed OS-HELP Debt Confirmation Form and Direct Deposit Form (Step 2). You are deemed to have incurred an OS-HELP Debt on the day the funds transfer occurs.

Repayment of OS-HELP Debts:The amount you borrow will be added to your existing HELP debt. Once the loan has been approved and paid, it cannot be cancelled and will be added to your HELP debt even if you do not complete your studies or cannot undertake or complete the approved overseas study. You can repay your accumulated debt through the Australian taxation system once your income is above the minimum repayment threshold for compulsory repayment.

Appeals:If you are dissatisfied with the decision made by the University regarding your OS-HELP application, please make your complaint in writing to OSHELP@canberra.edu.au in the first instance, within 21 days after receipt of the decision. If you are still not satisfied, please refer to the University Grievance Policy.